A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A gaming system, comprising: A first gaming device having a first base game processor to control play of a base game, the first gaming device having one or more system processors having a game monitoring module to monitor play of the base game and having a rewards system module to control play of a bonus game on the first gaming device, the bonus game being available on the first gaming device only through play of the base game; A first server having an accounting system, the first server to communicate base game data with the game monitoring module using a first protocol, the first server coupled to the first gaming device; A second server having a rewards system to track play points and threshold points responsive to play of the base game, the play points to provide currency used to play the bonus game on the first gaming device, and the threshold points to provide currency needed to enable play of the bonus game on the first gaming device, with the number of play points used for the bonus game being determined by the number of play points accrued minus the number of play points in a pay table specifying the play points that are decremented when a bonus game is played, the second server to communicate rewards information with the rewards system module of the first gaming device using a third protocol, the second server coupled to the first gaming device; wherein the one or more system processors and the game monitoring module communicate base game data to the second server using a second protocol; and wherein the second server having the rewards system communicates to the rewards system module when the play points exceed the threshold points to trigger play of the bonus game on the first gaming device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein: The second server and the system processor communicate game data comprising any accumulated rewards points and player identification data.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein: The second server and the system processor communicate reward threshold data related to reward points; And The system processor and the game monitoring module communicate reward threshold data.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein: The second server triggers bonus games at the first gaming device responsive to achievement of reward thresholds by a player through accumulation of threshold points.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: A second gaming device having a first base game processor, the second gaming device having one or more system processors, the second gaming device having a game monitoring module and having a rewards system module; The first server further to communicate base game data with the game monitoring module of the second gaming device using the first protocol; The second server further to communicate rewards information with a system processor of the second gaming device using a third protocol; wherein the system processor and the game monitoring module of the second gaming device communicate base game data using the second protocol; and wherein the second server having the rewards system tracks play points further providing for currency used to play bonus games on the second gaming device, and the second server having the rewards system tracks threshold points providing for currency used to access bonus games on the second gaming device.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein: The second server is to trigger bonus games collectively on the first gaming device and the second gaming device.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein: The bonus games are triggered selectively on gaming devices based on a threshold count communicated using the third protocol, the threshold count maintained through use of threshold points.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: A plurality of gaming devices each having a first base game processor, each gaming device having one or more system processors, each gaming device having a game monitoring module and having a rewards system module; The first server further to communicate base game data with the game monitoring module of each gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices using the first protocol; The second server further to communicate rewards information with a system processor of the each gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices using a third protocol; wherein the system processor and the game monitoring module of each gaming device communicate base game data using the second protocol; and wherein the second server having the rewards system tracks play points further providing for currency used to play bonus games on the gaming device of the plurality of gaming devices, and the second server having the rewards system tracks threshold points providing for currency used to access bonus games on the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein: The second server is to trigger bonus games collectively on the first gaming device and one or more of the plurality of gaming devices.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein: The bonus games are triggered selectively on gaming devices based on a threshold count communicated using the third protocol, the threshold count maintained through threshold points.
11. A gaming device, comprising: a first base game processor to control play of a base game; one or more system processors; a game monitoring module to communicate base game data with a first server using a first protocol to monitor play of the base game, the first server having an accounting system; a rewards system module to control play of a bonus game, the bonus game being available only through play of the base game, including a system processor to communicate with the game monitoring module using a second protocol and to communicate rewards information with a second server to track play points and threshold points responsive to play of the base game, the play points to provide currency used to play the bonus game, and the threshold points to provide currency needed to enable play of the bonus game, with the number of play points used for the bonus game being determined by the number of play points accrued minus the number of play points in a pay table specifying the play points that are decremented when a bonus game is played, using a third protocol, the rewards system module to communicate data regarding play points for bonus games and threshold points for access to bonus games with the second server; and wherein the second server communicates to the rewards system module when the play points exceed the threshold points to trigger play of the bonus game.
12. The gaming device of claim 11 , wherein: The third protocol encodes game data and player identification data.
13. The gaming device of claim 12 , wherein: The third protocol encodes reward threshold data; And The second protocol encodes reward threshold data.
14. The gaming device of claim 13 , wherein: The gaming device receives bonus game triggers from the second server responsive to achievement of reward thresholds by a player, the rewards thresholds tracked through use of threshold points.
15. A plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device comprising: a first base game processor to control play of a base game; one or more system processors; a game monitoring module to communicate base game data with a first server to monitor play of the base game using a first protocol, the first server having an accounting system; a rewards system module to control play of a bonus game, the bonus game being available only through play of the base game, including a system processor to communicate with the game monitoring module using a second protocol and to communicate rewards information with a second server to track play points and threshold points responsive to play of the base game, the play points to provide currency used to play the bonus game, and the threshold points to provide currency needed to enable play of the bonus game, with the number of play points used for the bonus game being determined by the number of play points accrued minus the number of play points in a pay table specifying the play points that are decremented when a bonus game is played., using a third protocol, the rewards system module to communicate data regarding play points for bonus games and threshold points for access to bonus games with the second server; wherein the gaming devices of the plurality of gaming devices are capable of playing the same games; and wherein the second server communicates to the rewards system module when the play points exceed the threshold points to trigger play of the bonus game.
16. The plurality of gaming devices of claim 15 , wherein: The third protocol encodes game data and player identification data.
17. The plurality of gaming devices of claim 16 , wherein: The third protocol encodes reward threshold data; And The second protocol encodes reward threshold data.
18. The plurality of gaming devices of claim 17 , wherein: The gaming devices receive bonus game triggers from the second server responsive to achievement of reward thresholds by players, the rewards thresholds tracked through threshold points.
19. The plurality of gaming devices of claim 18 , wherein: The second server is to trigger bonus games collectively on one or more of the plurality of gaming devices.
20. The plurality of gaming devices of claim 19 , wherein: The bonus games are triggered selectively on gaming devices based on a threshold count communicated from each gaming device using the third protocol, the threshold count tracked through threshold points.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 12, 2008
November 18, 2014
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